There has been tremendous progress, diplomatically: Inu

DHAKA, Oct 03, 2017(BSS)-Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, said today that Bangladesh had achieved a lot, diplomatically, in a very short span of time.

He also said that the recent visit by a senior Myanmar minister indicated some change in Myanmar’s attitude.

Inu said that at a shadow parliament debate at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC), where BGMEA Institute of Textiles and Prime University students participated.

He also said that whereas China and India had initially supported Myanmar they had changed their position lately.

Citing the example of Russia and China, he said the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution recently but only a few weeks back China and Russia had vetoed a similar resolution.

He thanked the countries who had supported Bangladesh’s position and lauded the media for focusing on the issue of the Rohingyas. “The extensive coverage awakened the world to the plight of Rohingyas.

If the Rohingya problem was not resolved quickly, it had the potential of destabilizing the entire region. “As far as we are concerned the problem was thrust upon us”, he said. “It was created by Myanmar and they have to resolve it”.

Explaining the Rohingya issue, he explained that this was not a new one. It is a persistent problem, which had aggravated recently.

“We want a tripartite solution involving the United Nations, Bangladesh and Myanmar,”he said.”And granting citizenship to the Rohingyas was the crux of the problem”.

Refuting those who criticized the government for resorting to diplomacy instead of war, he said, “This is a subservice idea.” They do not want Bangladesh to prosper. “Modern wars are expensive and it will ruin both Myanmar and Bangladesh,” he said.

Referring to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her followers, he said that if a military solution is possible why she did not do it when she was prime minister.

He also said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had shown great compassion by allowing the Rohingyas to seek safe haven in Bangladesh.

“This is a temporary solution,” he said.” If the problem lingers for a year or more then we will have no option but to relocate them in one of the off-shore islands”.

He also said that the government had not sought foreign aid for the Rohingyas. “We were coping with the Rohingya influx with our own resources, later other countries joined in voluntarily.